Jacksonville Library Information

Al Burian’s Things Are Meaning Less

Posted by Andrew Coulon on July 12, 2010

Burn Collector author Al Burian’s autobiographical comic Things Are Meaning Less treads the narrow line between whining child and existential heavy weight with clumsy grace. At times funny, lonely and painfully embarrassing, Burian never strays far from conversations about the weather and his quest to comprehend such chaotic systems seems to rack his waking hours. His shyness, self loathing and alienation are thankfully cut with the humor, allowing the reader to decompress once in a while. This isn’t Camus’ Stranger or even Catcher in the Rye. This is one guy’s transition from awkward teen-aged metal head into a directionless, coffee-swilling bike punk and zine author. As in all existential writing, there are moments of juvenile fist pounding to be expected. (I mean, who doesn’t want to just slap Holden Caulfield once in while?) Burian acknowledges these tendencies in himself as well and portrays his fantasies about super powers and suicide as a part of the problem. He remains connected and disconnected at the same time and you get a strong sense of his frustration: the sunny days are too short and the rainy days just keep coming. Burian’s unending quest for purpose and fulfillment may just be one more city away. Check out Things Are Meaning Less.